Chapter 3

"That was awesome! Did you see us?! We were all swish and slash and bang and whoosh!" Ruby exclaimed as she walked down Beacons halls towards their new dorm room, guided by a map on their scrolls. "And did you see JNPR's with the Deathstalker? Swish and stabity and kaboom! So mad we missed watching it in person!"

"We were kind of fighting a Nevermore Ruby, not much of a chance to watch them." Yang tried desperately to calm her sister down. Adam doubted it would work very well, however. After the ceremony where they were put into their teams, the teachers and staff had provided some light refreshments while they showed highlights of initiation for all to watch, including the older teams.

RSTY and their Nevermore fight. JNPR and their battle against the Deathstalker. An overgrown Boarbatusk slain by CRDL. There was even a Petra-Gigas that had taken a couple teams to deal with. All had been shown for the students to watch. Ruby had been ecstatic ever since, practically hyper after watching and fawning over the diverse weapons on display.

Adam, however, had been annoyed. He had relied on the Schnee's abilities to be able to take down the Nevermore and it irked him. Why should he be forced to rely on her to deal with Grimm?! He would need to make sure it never happened again so that her ego didn't inflate.

As it was the girl in white was already mad. She had thought she would have been the leader and Adam took some delight in the fact she wasn't. Ruby was idealistic and naive but driven and, most importantly, she didn't have any real desire to force them to follow her. She would lead through example and that was something Adam could appreciate.

Ruby continued to chatter until they arrived at the door to their new dorm. It opened with a swipe of Ruby's scroll and the team was introduced to the place they would be staying in for four years. A basic room with a desk and four beds, bookshelves and dressers enough to fit their gear.

Not that Adam had very much to begin with. Most of his old possessions were back in his old tent, or more likely sold off or given over to other members of the White Fang. It was… a distant kind of pain. A consequence of his actions that he had never taken into account before. But now that he did he missed a lot of it. All the little bits and pieces he had gotten over the years that reminded him of his past. He had even still had his first mask, the one that had inspired the White Fangs practice of wearing Grimm-like masks.

I can always get more… but Blake is more important than some random objects. I can't lose focus!

He shook his head and settled in. The girls had decided, without his input, that he would have to go into the attached bathroom to change. It was a nuisance but he just grunted his acknowledgement and went to bed.

Tomorrow would be his first day in class…

The day dawned bright and early… and loud as a whistle went off nearby. Adam jumped from his bed, kicking out towards the noise and rolling to avoid the assassin. He got caught up in his own bedding and crashed to the floor, rolling with the motion to dodge the inevitable reprise. Pushing up he threw his bedding at his assailant, only now realizing it was a thoroughly non-threatening girl with red and black hair.

There was a beat of silence as Ruby pulled herself out of the bedding before Yang burst out laughing. The Schnee sat in her bed fuming and Adam just straightened himself and set to work cleaning his mess. Once things had finally calmed down, Ruby cleared her throat.

"Alright! Team meeting time. First of all, I believe that we need something to set us apart from everyone else… bunk beds! All in favour of bunk beds say aye!" She held a fist into the air and yelled: "aye!"

Yang echoed with her own shout. The Schnee looked annoyed and irritated. Adam felt the same way, which only made him more annoyed and irritated. He wanted to just say no and leave, to train or otherwise escape… but it would annoy the Schnee…

"Aye." He said with a smirk, ignoring the sharp look he received from the girl in white. Yang and Ruby gave a whoop and in moments the entire team worked on personalizing the room. A pair of bunk beds, with Ruby's hanging over the Schnee's like a floating pillow fort and Yang's balanced on top of his own bed. Posters and curtains and all manner of things the girls owned were placed throughout the room. They didn't seem to notice the small amount he had, amounting to a small area for his own weapon maintenance.

With the room looking more homely and less like a dorm at a boarding school they sat down, dressed in their new uniforms, and took a break. Yang slid over to him.

"Sooooo, ever take off that mask? You even had it on while you slept. Got some weird birthmark or something?" She smiled. Adam just raised an eyebrow, not that she could see him doing it.

"Yes, I do take it off and no, you can't see me with it off. I have it for a reason."

"Oooooo mysterious~. I'll see it one day, mystery man." She promised before scooting back over to Ruby. What a weird person…

"So now that this foolishness is over with, what are we doing today?" The Schnee asked in her typical condescending manner.

"Oh right!" Ruby picked up one of her notebooks and flicked through. "Well at nine we have Grimm Studies with Professor Port and-"

"Nine?! It's eight fifty-five you dunce!" The Schnee exclaimed before bolting out of the room. The sisters shared a glance before following after her. As Adam left the room he ran into team JNPR, whose dorm was apparently just across from theirs, as they too realized they were running late. The now group of eight ran across the school grounds towards their class.

It was a new experience for Adam, being late to class. Of course, school itself was a new experience. There had never been a chance or opportunity to attend, just work and work and then he was fighting for Faunus Rights. I wonder what it will be like, pretending to be a normal person. He knew Illia had attended a school and even had more formal training, though she had hated it. It was why he hadn't gone to Atlas. He already had enough trouble controlling himself, how hard would it be in a place that had been oppressing his people for so long?

His thoughts were interrupted by the group's arrival in the classroom. Most of the seats were already taken but thankfully people had stuck to their teams. RSTY took a spot at the front while JNPR managed one a couple of rows back and to the side. The bell rang only a moment later and the teacher, a portly man who seemed attached to the colour red.

"Ho-ho! Welcome students!" The rotund man paused for a moment. "Demons! Monsters! Prowlers of the night! The Grimm are known by many names but I call them… prey! Haha!" Adam nodded along as the man paused, likely waiting for it to sink in. He thought for a second that he could hear crickets...

"Uhhh… and you will too once you have graduated! In this class, you will learn all you need to know about this world's beasties so that you can protect those who cannot protect themselves! What from you ask? Why, the very world!"

Someone shouted their approval from the back, hoping to break the still silence. Adam tried his best to pay attention as the man went on, however, it slowly deteriorated into mindless drivel. Uninteresting and unengaging words that sent a few to sleep. The Schnee seemed to be getting progressively more irritated at their leader who seemed to be goofing off. Even Adam failed to really keep track of the man's speech.

If this is what classes were about then Adam could live without them. How could anyone put up with over a decade of this? His thoughts began to drift, away from the classroom and the teacher's stories, to Blake. What was she doing now? Had she began to realize their mistakes or was she swearing to kill him?

He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice when Port called for a demonstration, nor when the Schnee took the opportunity to show off. He did notice when the Boarbatusk came sprinting out of its cage. He watched as Weiss Schnee battled and killed the Grimm. The sisters next to him cheering and yelling advice at her all the while, much to the Schnee's annoyance.

With the Grimm dead the Professor, if he could even be called that with how little they learned, called the end of the lesson as the bell rang. People flowed out of the room and into the hallways, walking off towards the cafeteria. Was it lunchtime already? Apparently so.

"Weiss! Come on! Ugh!" The sound of Ruby's voice could be heard for quite a ways and it stopped Adam in his tracks. He wanted to continue onward and ignore whatever fight the two had, but he was trying to become better, trying to be what the old Blake would have wanted. He sighed and followed the noise to its source.

Ruby was standing alone in a hallway muttering to herself. "Have a fight with the Schnee?" Ruby jumped.

"Uh. Yeah. Kinda I guess. She doesn't think I'm a good leader. And that I'm annoying… and a brat and a child! She's the annoying one!" She paced back and forth as she spoke. Adam chuckled.

"If anyone is annoying it's her. The way she speaks gets on my nerves. You are a better leader than she ever will be, Ruby. You aren't an arrogant brat that was given everything. You have had to struggle." He glanced out a nearby window towards the beautiful gardens of Beacon. "People like her don't understand that. Coming from their ivory towers. Spoonfed everything, paid and supported by the lives of others. They don't care about anyone but themselves!"

He turned back to Ruby to see a shocked face. He froze.

"An interesting analysis Mr Taurus. However, I believe you may be surprised." The voice came from behind him. Headmaster Ozpin stood there, leaning on his cane and taking a slow sip of his drink. Adam gulped.

"Headmaster… I-"

"Its fine Mr Taurus. You have your reasons. I'll simply ask you the most keep an open mind. After all, wouldn't you like others to do the same for you?" The Headmaster was calm and collected but there was a hint of a threat. Of course, he is taking a chance with me. Keeping an open mind. I… I guess I should try to do the same.

"Headmaster…" Ruby's voice was quiet. "I think I might have been a bad choice of leader…"

"Hmm" He took another sip. "Perhaps. Time will tell. We cannot know what will come of our choices Ms Rose. I have made many mistakes over my years, more than any man, woman or child. But… I don't think making you the leader was one of them." He glanced at Adam. "Ms Schnee might have the skills to lead, but skill isn't all it takes. I doubt she would have been able to lead Mr Taurus very well."

Adam scoffed. "She wouldn't have."

"Being a leader is an important position. It is a badge of honour, but people will also look up to you and judge you for every choice you make. I believe you can do it, Ms Rose. At the very least, you can trust that I think you are worthy?"

Ruby nodded. "Yep! Thanks, Headmaster!" She ran off, content with her answers.

"This the part where you threaten me to keep my head? I know I got carried away there but-"

"No no, Mr Taurus. I am giving you a chance to prove your desire to change. The teachers all know and will be watching you, but if you are willing to change then you can do so here. I believe you can, don't prove me wrong, Mr Taurus."

With that Ozpin walked past and away from him. Adam took a deep breath once the footsteps faded. Ozpin had projected an aura of calm that hid the deadly and terrifying force of one of the strongest Huntsman. It had been a long time since someone's mere presence brought such a feeling of fear.

Men in white yelled orders deep within the dark and barely lit caverns. The symbol of a snowflake glowed brightly in his vision, burning itself into his consciousness.

Adam breathed. I haven't remembered that in… a long time… He shook his head. He needed some fresh air. Thankfully the gardens were right there.

The next day featured a startling change in the resident girl in white. She and Ruby were now getting along well as if there had never even been any conflict. It left Adam stumped.

How did that even happen?! Is… is Ruby some kind of master of changing people's minds? Maybe I should recruit her to help me out...

It was something for the future however if it ever came to it. Ruby really did have a way with people, if team JNPR's presence at their table was anything to go by. She had made friends with their leader and was now forcing the two teams together so they could all be friends. She truly was a force to be reckoned with.

Since the Schnee was no longer so annoying things had calmed down in the team. Far less yelling for one. He had yet to make peace with her, however. It was… hard. His scar itched when he saw her. Years of pain and training told him to hate her.

He didn't know if it was possible to change his own mind about her, but he tried. He couldn't talk to her but he tried to keep an open mind about her and her actions. Since she was now friends with Ruby it was easier.

"So what do we have today?" Jaune, the blonde from initiation and leader of JNPR, asked as the group finished off their breakfast.

"Well we have Professor Oobleck and his introduction to his History Class for the first half of the day, then lunch and then Professor Goodwitch and the introduction to Combat Class!" Ruby said in between munching on cookies.

Why are cookies even an option?

The group continued to converse, but Adam kept to himself. Even as the bell rang and they headed off to Oobleck's class. The teacher was… something. Erratic and a bit crazed. But when the man looked at Adam, he looked almost sad. Not the normal pity of someone who expected or hoped for something else but rather the sadness from someone who knew what kind of things had happened to Adam and hated that he had to go through it. It was pure empathy, and Adam wasn't used to seeing it in Humans.

The class seemed to pass quickly. A simple session of looking at what they would cover over the year. The Great War, the Faunus Rights Movement, the foundation of Huntsmen, the founding of the Academies and more.

Adam was interested in what this man thought of the Faunus War, though it was apparent many in the class weren't interested if Cardin Winchester and his team were anything to go by. Laughing and making jokes at the expense of Faunus. Thankfully the Professor was intent on squashing such sentiments.

After a quick lunch and time to change into their combat gear, the students piled into the training room. A large room with seating arranged around the edges placed higher above the arena itself. Professor Goodwitch was waiting for them.

"Good day students. I hope you are settling in well. In this class you will be sparing with each other. I will offer critique and advice on how each of you can improve. Most spars will work under tournament rules, so the fight will end on surrender or when one party's Aura reaches the red." The students murmured amongst themselves for a moment. "You will also lose if you are knocked out of the ring."

"To start, I would like to ask Pyrrha Nikos as well as Adam Taurus to come down to the arena." Adam shrugged and made his way down. Pyrrha Nikos, the redheaded shield and sword user from initiation stood opposite him.

"In this class, matches are conducted under standard tournament rules, understood?" She gave them both a look, though Adam felt he received more of a glare. He nodded and Pyrrha said yes.

"Know that attempts to continue after the fight is done will result in punishment." They nodded.

The professor stepped back.

"Now, begin!"

A/N: And here we are with another chapter. I will admit I find it funny, in this Adam believes that Ruby was able to change Weiss' mind, but as we all know it was Weiss that went to make it up with Ruby. But of course, Adam would never think that a Schnee of all people could be nice!

Hope you guys enjoyed and I'll see you next time!